by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
After serving the working poor for two years, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s employment law division recently upgraded its staff to two.
Bilingual paralegal and former Mexican attorney Clara Picazo joined JALA four months ago. She’s helping attorney Tess Arington deal with cases of compensation, discrimination and a variety of other employment issues facing those who work and live paycheck-to-paycheck.
“If they miss one paycheck, they can lose their apartment or car,” said Arington. “We have seen a growing trend (in employment disputes), so we’re really trying to reach out to different groups.”
Picazo’s combined fluent Spanish and legal skills will make communication with some of the division’s clients a lot easier.
“It seems those who are not native English speakers are more vulnerable because they don’t understand the rules,” said Arington. “We try to educate them about their rights.”
She noted that issues often associated with immigrants, like human trafficking, are not uncommon in Jacksonville or limited to the foreign-born. Arington said poverty is the biggest factor affecting local, legal employment issues.
That being said, she continued, “Employers target these people (immigrants) because they’re less likely to come forward to assert their rights ... Even documented workers are threatened by employers.”
Often by relative or friend referral, the employment division still reaches some of the immigrants who need help getting money they’re owed, maternity/disability leave or action taken for any of a host of other legal problems.
“I thought it was a very good opportunity to offer my ability to speak Spanish to help,” said Picazo.
She hasn’t practiced law since moving from Mexico to Florida in 1998, but she said she enjoys staying involved with the legal process as a paralegal. She doesn’t plan to pursue a law degree here because her job, husband and daughter keep her schedule pretty packed.
“It (practicing law again) is a dream,” said Picazo. “I don’t want to convert my dream into a nightmare.”
Arington said JALA already has the basic means to reach those who don’t speak English: Many of their brochures and posters have been translated into Spanish, and a Web site redesign will increase the online language options soon. For other languages, JALA subscribes to a telephone translation service, or “language line.”
“Within 30 seconds, we’re connected with an interpreter over speaker phone,” said Arington. “It’s a rather cumbersome tool, though.
“I think it (speaking directly to a fluent attorney or paralegal) builds a better rapport with a client,” she added. “It facilitates things and makes them feel more welcome.”
In addition to Picazo, JALA has other staff members who speak a second language. Three speak Spanish, two Bosnian, one Portuguese, one Russian and one American Sign Language. To identify a less common language, intake workers use a chart. The chart basically reads, “Point here if you speak this language” in 20 different languages.
The employment team serves 200-300 people a year. Arington said they sometimes have to turn away cases because the workload becomes overwhelming. They work with pro bono attorneys to assign additional cases, and they’re always looking for more volunteers.
“If there’s no one willing to take the case,” she said, “there’s not much we can do.”